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Arnold Gatilao

Where to Get Boston’s Most Iconic Dishes

By Vox Creative
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By Vox Creative
Arnold Gatilao
This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.

There’s much to love in Beantown, even if it doesn’t have the same sunny weather as the West Coast. Sure, the city may be currently covered in feet of snow, but Bostonians still find a way to indulge in the best foods the city has to offer — and yes, it is perfectly acceptable to eat clam chowder year-round. Boston’s burgeoning dining scene has made it a true competitor to its East Coast neighbors, thanks to its always-fresh seafood pickings, historic recipes (like the Boston cream pie), and true commitment to flavor.

The JetBlue Card is offering travelers throughout the U.S. the chance to “Flip the Forecast” for a change in scenery.* Here’s where to find the dishes that put Boston on the forefront of the nation’s dining scene — who knows, you just might flip the forecast for a lobster roll.

*The JetBlue Card Flip the Forecast promotion has ended. To learn more about the JetBlue Card, visit JetBlueCard.com.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Legal Seafood

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With its classic recipe of just nine ingredients — clams, garlic, salt pork, onions, flour, clam broth, fish stock, potatoes, and light cream — Legal Sea Foods knows not to mess with clam chowder. Since 1968, the crowd-pleasing dish has been a staple on its menu, with good reason. Also on the menu? The day’s freshest catch, signature crab cakes, baked Boston cod (another Beantown staple), and lobsters pulled straight from the Atlantic.

Boston, MA 02128
Gary Lerude

Eventide Fenway

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This new outpost of a beloved and well-regarded Portland, Maine, restaurant is a sleek spot to enjoy seafood of all kinds, but its version of New England clam chowder, with a lighter-than-usual broth filled with fine-diced potatoes and clams, is simply addictive. Get it with oysters on the half shell and make the meal a Boston classic.

1321 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
(617) 545-1060
(617) 545-1060

Also featured in:

Summer Shack

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For a quintessential New England seafood experience, the Summer Shack offers a traditional approach to local dishes. Sit down at a table after checking out the enormous 2,000-piece raw bar case, and dig into a creamy bowl of clam chowder created by acclaimed chef Jasper White, who opened the Summer Shack more than 15 years ago.

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115
(617) 867-9955
(617) 867-9955

Also featured in:

Mare Oyster Bar

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Mare’s delicious version, served hot or cold, is made with the meat of a 2.5-pound lobster and nothing else to distract your taste buds. It’s placed into a heavenly, freshly made brioche roll from its sister bread bakery, Bricco Panetteria. In the mood for lobster served every which way? Mare has you covered. Try the tagliatelle con Aragosta, served with lobster sauce, cherry tomatoes, and shaved black truffles; a lobster ravioli with fava beans and smoked bacon; or even a lobster-stuffed bell pepper.

3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 723-6273
(617) 723-6273

Also featured in:

Neptune Oyster

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Served on a brioche roll and heaping with lobster meat, Neptune’s lobster roll is available hot and buttered or served cold with mayo. Like the cannoli at Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry, Neptune and Mare seem to take turns being North End favorites for lobster rolls. If you choose to go, get there on the early side (Neptune is known for its waiting times) and saddle up to the bar to watch as staff shuck the oysters right there and then — they make for the perfect side for your lobster roll.

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 742-3474
(617) 742-3474
Jules Morgan

Also featured in:

James Hook & Co

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Hook’s lobster roll, a hot dog bun filled with fresh lobster meat and dressed in nothing but celery and mayo, may sound simple, but it’s as fresh as it gets: This seafood company catches its own fish and mostly distributes it to other businesses, keeping enough back for those who want to get it at the source.

440 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110
(617) 423-5501
(617) 423-5501

Also featured in:

The Parker Restaurant Omni Parker House

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The Parker Restaurant at the Omni House serves up a side of history, with more than 150 years in business. It was also known to be the dining hotspot for the “Saturday Club,” a group of literary legends like Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway. Another piece of history you can experience there? The Boston cream pie. You can enjoy the original recipe in the elegant dining room. A fun fact: The hotel will deliver their iconic pie anywhere in the country. It’s made fresh, then frozen and shipped directly from the bake shop to your door. The pies are shipped in an insulated unit with ice packs and might just be ready to eat when delivered.

Omni Parker House, Boston, MA 02108
tgkohn

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Flour Bakery & Cafe

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There are several locations of Joanne Chang’s Flour bakeries around town, where those searching out Boston cream pie can savor her nut-free version made with coffee-soaked sponge cake layered with vanilla cream and finished with a chocolate ganache. The bakery is known for its sweets of all types, however, like the lemon meringue tart, sticky buns, and Chunky Lola cookies with oats, chocolate, toasted pecans, and coconut.

1595 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118
(617) 267-4300
(617) 267-4300

Also featured in:

Blackbird Doughnuts

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When a regular doughnut just won’t do, the sweet tooths of Boston flock to this artisanal bakery. Forget your fork: Instead of a slice, enjoy a Boston cream doughnut created by Blackbird Doughnuts, which has locations in the South End and in the Fenway. Fans of the bakery include Adele, who touted its signature Boston cream Bismarck doughnut when she was on tour in Boston in 2016.

492 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 482-9000
(617) 482-9000

Also featured in:

Mike's Pastry Boston

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When in Boston, it’s almost sinister to not pick up an Italian dessert (or three). And for the best cannolis in town, this is it. Mike’s Pastry, founded in 1948, put the treat on the map for its one-of-a-kind recipe. Order a signature cannoli with a lobster tail, a cream-filled croissant only found on the East Coast.

300 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 742-3050
(617) 742-3050
Kimberly Vardeman

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This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.
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Legal Seafood

Boston, MA 02128

With its classic recipe of just nine ingredients — clams, garlic, salt pork, onions, flour, clam broth, fish stock, potatoes, and light cream — Legal Sea Foods knows not to mess with clam chowder. Since 1968, the crowd-pleasing dish has been a staple on its menu, with good reason. Also on the menu? The day’s freshest catch, signature crab cakes, baked Boston cod (another Beantown staple), and lobsters pulled straight from the Atlantic.

Boston, MA 02128
Gary Lerude

Eventide Fenway

1321 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215

This new outpost of a beloved and well-regarded Portland, Maine, restaurant is a sleek spot to enjoy seafood of all kinds, but its version of New England clam chowder, with a lighter-than-usual broth filled with fine-diced potatoes and clams, is simply addictive. Get it with oysters on the half shell and make the meal a Boston classic.

1321 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
(617) 545-1060
(617) 545-1060

Summer Shack

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115

For a quintessential New England seafood experience, the Summer Shack offers a traditional approach to local dishes. Sit down at a table after checking out the enormous 2,000-piece raw bar case, and dig into a creamy bowl of clam chowder created by acclaimed chef Jasper White, who opened the Summer Shack more than 15 years ago.

50 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115
(617) 867-9955
(617) 867-9955

Mare Oyster Bar

3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113

Mare’s delicious version, served hot or cold, is made with the meat of a 2.5-pound lobster and nothing else to distract your taste buds. It’s placed into a heavenly, freshly made brioche roll from its sister bread bakery, Bricco Panetteria. In the mood for lobster served every which way? Mare has you covered. Try the tagliatelle con Aragosta, served with lobster sauce, cherry tomatoes, and shaved black truffles; a lobster ravioli with fava beans and smoked bacon; or even a lobster-stuffed bell pepper.

3 Mechanic St, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 723-6273
(617) 723-6273

Neptune Oyster

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113

Served on a brioche roll and heaping with lobster meat, Neptune’s lobster roll is available hot and buttered or served cold with mayo. Like the cannoli at Mike’s Pastry and Modern Pastry, Neptune and Mare seem to take turns being North End favorites for lobster rolls. If you choose to go, get there on the early side (Neptune is known for its waiting times) and saddle up to the bar to watch as staff shuck the oysters right there and then — they make for the perfect side for your lobster roll.

63 Salem St # 1, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 742-3474
(617) 742-3474
Jules Morgan

James Hook & Co

440 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110

Hook’s lobster roll, a hot dog bun filled with fresh lobster meat and dressed in nothing but celery and mayo, may sound simple, but it’s as fresh as it gets: This seafood company catches its own fish and mostly distributes it to other businesses, keeping enough back for those who want to get it at the source.

440 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110
(617) 423-5501
(617) 423-5501

The Parker Restaurant Omni Parker House

Omni Parker House, Boston, MA 02108

The Parker Restaurant at the Omni House serves up a side of history, with more than 150 years in business. It was also known to be the dining hotspot for the “Saturday Club,” a group of literary legends like Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway. Another piece of history you can experience there? The Boston cream pie. You can enjoy the original recipe in the elegant dining room. A fun fact: The hotel will deliver their iconic pie anywhere in the country. It’s made fresh, then frozen and shipped directly from the bake shop to your door. The pies are shipped in an insulated unit with ice packs and might just be ready to eat when delivered.

Omni Parker House, Boston, MA 02108
tgkohn

Flour Bakery & Cafe

1595 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

There are several locations of Joanne Chang’s Flour bakeries around town, where those searching out Boston cream pie can savor her nut-free version made with coffee-soaked sponge cake layered with vanilla cream and finished with a chocolate ganache. The bakery is known for its sweets of all types, however, like the lemon meringue tart, sticky buns, and Chunky Lola cookies with oats, chocolate, toasted pecans, and coconut.

1595 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118
(617) 267-4300
(617) 267-4300

Blackbird Doughnuts

492 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

When a regular doughnut just won’t do, the sweet tooths of Boston flock to this artisanal bakery. Forget your fork: Instead of a slice, enjoy a Boston cream doughnut created by Blackbird Doughnuts, which has locations in the South End and in the Fenway. Fans of the bakery include Adele, who touted its signature Boston cream Bismarck doughnut when she was on tour in Boston in 2016.

492 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 482-9000
(617) 482-9000

Mike's Pastry Boston

300 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

When in Boston, it’s almost sinister to not pick up an Italian dessert (or three). And for the best cannolis in town, this is it. Mike’s Pastry, founded in 1948, put the treat on the map for its one-of-a-kind recipe. Order a signature cannoli with a lobster tail, a cream-filled croissant only found on the East Coast.

300 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 742-3050
(617) 742-3050
Kimberly Vardeman

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